The present invention relates generally to the field of facilitating removal of roof materials and in particular to a new and useful chute system for safely and efficiently delivering materials and debris from roof structures.
A typical roof shingle weighs approximately 3 lbs. per square ft. A normal roof replacement consists of removing two layers of asphalt shingles. The typical roof area of an average single family dwelling is about 2300′ sq. feet of roof area. The weight of the roofing being removed is about 13,800 lbs, and, half that weight comes off the front of the dwelling and the other half off the rear. That represents about 7000 lbs of roofing materials being pushed of the roof edge on either a one- or two-story dwelling, potentially free falling and landing on the area below. The landing area typically consists of walkways, driveways, expensive landscaping, finished siding, finished decks, fencing, windows, doorways, and human and pet traffic into and out of the dwelling.
Depending on the roof size there may be several workers engaged in this roof ripping process. As the shingles are detached, the loose shingles are pushed down slope towards the roof edge. If the slope is steep, the shingles tend to slide on their own down to the roof edge. Some contractors, at best, place a light-weight tarp on the roof edge and drape it down to the ground. The tarp is hung at an extreme vertical direction to cover the façade of the dwelling and the surroundings directly below. Such tarps have no structural integrity, and rip quite readily. They offer very limited protection when the heavy items, such as asphalt shingles free-fall to the area below. These tarps also create blind spots for both the homeowner walking out from the dwelling and the workers. Even those workers on the ground level cannot see people are coming out of the dwelling. These conditions worsen when the work is performed on multi-family dwellings (e.g., condominiums, co-ops, or apartments) and commercial properties.
UK Patent Application GB2185735 by Pateman discloses a chute for use in conveying tiles from a roof. It includes multiple elongate flat-bottomed chute members each adapted to be supported between the stiles of a ladder, with an end of a chute member being received within an end of an adjacent chute member. Each chute member is attached to the ladder by a hook engaging a ladder rung.
However this chute was designed to rest on a standard industry single rung ladder to support the chute. This design requires a ladder and constrains the chute width to the width of the ladder. The width of a standard industry Werner aluminum ladder, for example, is only available at a maximum width of 20⅝″ (off the side rails). The ladder side rails are typically 1⅜″ wide. This only gives an overall inside width of 18″. This limits a chute to an 18″ width on the flat base of the chute. It limits the overall length of a chute system to 24′. As well, the ladder support is limited to its sloping ability. A ladder is only designed to be placed a short distance off the vertical wall of the building, which creates an extreme vertical downward slope. This limits the placement of a chute in relationship to the building surroundings. Thus, the invention disclosed by Pateman is limited to positioning the chute into a waste container or dump truck, as there are also many variable surrounding conditions next to a building structure: trees, shrubs, expensive landscape beds, walkways, decks, mechanical equipment, windows, doors, people and pets. Debris will travel rapidly down the chute causing unsafe conditions to workers, and possible damage to surroundings. As well, the ladder support lacks a means to safely secure the ladder to the building at the roof elevation.
The Pateman chute width of 18″ is inferior to adequately transport the removal of asphalt roof shingles during the rip phase of a re-roofing project. It also limits the removal of general construction material and debris from an elevated building structure.
The placement of the chutes as taught by Pateman offered limited placement adjustment, and creates difficulty in the initial erecting and placement of the chutes onto the ladder. To attach the upper chute while the ladder is place against the building structure presents many issues regarding safety and compliance with OSHA standards.
US Patent Application US 2008/0230346 by Kohler teaches a construction debris chute system which includes a construction debris chute formed by multiple common panels with the multiple common panels each including a first panel, a second panel and a bottom panel that are linked to each other by a set of hinged anchors. It also includes a construction debris receiver box including a frame box and a chute-receiving portion extending at an angle from the frame box. The bottom discharge unit includes a discharge platform frame fitted to extend over a portion of a dumpster and a chute-supporting base extending upwards at an angle from the discharge platform frame for receiving a second end of the construction debris chute.
Among other problems, the Kohler chute requires a column support near the bottom. It is desirable to provide a chute system which does not require any mid-span pole/column supports under the chutes regardless the slope placement.
The present invention is directed to solving these and other problems in the field of removing asphalt roofing shingles from residential and commercial sloped roof structures.